Japanese cyber security firm, Nihon Cyber Defence, expands in Northern Ireland

Economy Minister Conor Murphy has announced that Japanese Cyber Security firm, Nihon Cyber Defence (NCD), is expanding in Northern Ireland.

NCD protects and supports critical national infrastructure, governments and businesses from cyber-attacks. The company first established in Northern Ireland in 2018 and this new £1.5million investment will see it create a further 15 new highly skilled jobs over the next three years.

Visiting the company in Law Society House, Minister Murphy said: “This expansion by Nihon Cyber Defence reinforces the north of Ireland's position as a dynamic hub for high-quality foreign investment and innovation. Attracting and retaining global firms like NCD who continue to reinvest here is central to my economic plans.

“NCD is also a perfect example of how business can contribute to my four economic priorities. NCD's commitment to a hybrid working model ensures these new opportunities are available to IT professionals across the region, helping us raise productivity and build a balanced, more inclusive economy. I'm also encouraged by the company's ambition to reduce its carbon emissions by 25 per cent over the next five years, which aligns with our decarbonisation goal of achieving net zero.”

Dougie Grant, European Managing Director and Global Head Incident Manager at NCD, said: “With cyber threats growing in both scale and sophistication, demand for our expertise has surged across the globe. We've secured significant new contracts throughout the UK, Ireland and across Europe and to meet this rising demand, we're expanding our team.

“Our new Northern Ireland staff will offer specialised incident management and security operations support for clients across the UK and Europe. While we considered expanding in our other UK locations, the high calibre of talent in Northern Ireland made it the ideal choice for our growth.”

Welcoming the announcement, Steve Harper, Executive Director of International Business and Skills at Invest NI said: “Invest NI is focused on building a strong, competitive economy that offers high-quality employment opportunities. NCD's re-investment in Northern Ireland not only strengthens our global reputation for exceptional talent but also brings significant international visibility to our world-class skills.

“Our overseas team in Japan was instrumental in securing this expansion for Northern Ireland by providing support and guidance for the company. We are an international hub for cyber security expertise and this reputation is further enhanced with NCD's decision to deliver protection and support to national infrastructure, governments and businesses from the region.”